EU Searches for Google Deal

By

Vanessa Mock

Feb 25, 2013 6:06 am ET

In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of almighty deities, immortal beings blessed with enormous stamina and strength who took on the Olympians.

On Friday, it looked as if a modern-day technology Titan, Google Inc., had come one step closer to winning its two-year battle with the European Union. The EU’s antitrust chief Joaquín Almunia, speaking at a conference in Paris, sounded hopeful he could reach a settlement with Google sometime “after the summer break.”

Mr. Almunia first launched settlement talks with Google in May, but discussions have dragged on much longer than expected. To the dismay of many of Google’s rivals, a settlement would sidestep a formal decision on whether the company has broken EU competition law.

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